Floyd patterson Doesn't get enough credit!!

The First fight was the ten count looking back at it on Youtube. The sad thing is they cut the count out.

 

He lost the title to Johannson in late 1959, getting it back the next year. He only held the title from late 1956 to mid 1959 before losing it and regaining it.

 

He was rising both times and almost beat the count; granted it wouldn't have mattered but he didn't take the full count on his butt as you suggested.

 

agree -- he had lightning hands and even when he got creamed in some fights his quick combos were evident

 

You think Wlad is... fat???

 

I agree with you that Floyd was a sensational fighter with excellent hand speed. It's also true that Patterson gave Ali much better fights than he is credited for. Not by any stretch of the imagination was Patterson a totally outclassed foe...he was competitive against Ali.

But I don't think that Floyd could have troubled the best big heavyweights of today. He was simply too small.

Patterson should be ranked among the other great fighters at heavyweight and cruiserweight who weighed less than 200 lbs. He shouldn't be compared to the super heavyweights like Lewis, the Klitschos, Tyson, Bowe, etc.

 

If Patterson approached every fight as he did against Ingo the second time, he would have accomplished more and been impressive in doing so. I also feel that if he had abandoned the heavyweight division and campaigned instead as a cruiserweight, (if there was one when he was fighting that is) he would have dominated. The trouble with Floyd was that he was perhaps too decent a guy to turn himself into a 'seek and destroy" type of fighter. Maybe his temperment was what made him unique and such of a much beloved figure. Maybe he just refused to compromise himself and become a "killer" and maybe he figured that was worth more in life to him. Whatever the case, he was a decent, fine man with many fine accomplishments in his boxing career, and that's something these newcomers to boxing just don't quite understand.

 

Patterson started out as a middleweight, how does everyone think he would've faired against the middleweights of the 50s, 60s, and 70s?

 

I think that Patterson is generaly under rated although most people on this site give him a fair write up.

I have seen websites that describe Patterson as one of the worst of all the heavyweight champions which is far from the case.

 

In reading his book, accounts from his friends, and listening to him in interviews, I'm sure he felt exactly as you've wrote. Good post.

Floyd once said he would rather fight a good fight, have the crowd behind him and lose, then fight a poor fight and win.

 

I agree that Floyd Patterson, like Joe Frazier gets very listen respect, historically as a great heavyweights. They both got blown out by bigger guys when they weren't at their very best. One can say Floyd's back was giving him major problems against Liston as was the case against Ali. Patterson was beat before he stepped inside the ring and crumbled at his first look at Liston. IMO I think he could have done a lot better than he showed in those fights. Sonny was probably too much for Floyd to overcome both nights but Floyd looked lost, not using any of the boxing skills that helped him in previous fights. It's a lot more difficult to maneuover around the ring with a bad back, but Floyd could have boxed better and kept his hands higher. Quite a few senior citizens that I've spoken to about his career mention Floyd Patterson as one of the kindest as a person and celebrity. He was a great champion that might've taken Marciano to the limit in what could have been one of the best fights of all time.

 

maybe fastest hands of any heavyweight

 

I dont think Patterson could have taking the Rock to the limit. People are over rated Patterson in this regard imo. Marciano was a step above the Ingos, Jackson's and Petes he battle. And most of them gave Patterson life and death battles.

 

Not all of modern HW's are Valuevs. How can you say that Lewis, Bowe, Golota or Vitali were fat and sluggish in their primes?:huh

If you stay fit, fast, skillfull and durable, size DOES matter. I don't think Paterson or Dempsey would last long with any of the ones I mentioned (prime for prime).

 

Patterson,s reign wasn,t very distinguished true ,but his resume after he lost the tile ,even into his mid 30s ,is very solid ,he took on punchers ,swarmers ,boxers all styles and did very well,he is generally sold a little short ,I feel,not top ten as Champ but a fine fighter,he went down a lot ,but he mostly got up ,he had heart as well as talent.